She is on a four-part trek that began in Indonesia’s fabled Banda Islands, garden of nutmeg and mace, and the scene of vicious, 17th century conflicts and wanton atrocities geared towards filling European coffers.

Heat and dust, far-flung ferry journeys, mud, dirt and dodgy motors: nothing fazes the always elegant Lumley, now 77, who could be the reincarnation of an intrepid Victorian lady explorer.

After Indonesia come Hampi, Goa and Kerala in Lumley’s own birthplace, India; from Madagascar it’s on to Zanzibar, then north to Jordan and Petra’s ravishing ruins, spices and dishes changing with the scenery.

But not everything on this 24,000km (15,000 mile) voyage of discovery is fabulous, and thankfully so: overcoming mishaps and minor crises, often with a dollop of dry wit, makes for more watchable television than the drip-fed, on-tap advertorial luxury in other types of travel show.

Clearly, Lumley has an unflagging enthusiasm for life. And when life gives her vanilla, cinnamon, pepper and cardamom, spice girl Joanna Lumley makes a television series.

The action continues in D.P. on Netflix

If he is tuning in from his Pyongyang bunker, Kim Jong-un might be encouraged by D.P. (Netflix).

Should this often brutal drama be accurate about what can happen to South Korean servicemen during conscription, then the North might fancy a tilt at their southern neighbours, whose military top brass seems to spend its time concealing the truth of deadly incidents involving its troops – to save face, and the armed forces’ reputation.

Series two sees military policemen An Jun-ho (Jung Hae-in) and Han Ho-yeol (Koo Kyo-hwan) of Gangwon’s Deserter Pursuit (D.P.) unit on the trail of more soldiers who have gone AWOL and must be apprehended.

Reasons for desertion include the predictable, puerile, yet horrifying mental and physical abuse of the gay, the overweight, the spectacle-wearing and more. And sadly, although the first series reflected South Korean national anger at hazing in the forces, recent reports of continuing problems indicate series two is just as topical.

Therein, an unlikely whistle-blower goes on the run, carrying a USB drive containing enough dirt on the military to cause a national crisis. He is hunted by the sort of ravenous, undercover pack against whom only Jason Bourne would enjoy facing off.

A guard post facing the North Korean lines across the DMZ sees an explosive confrontation; and a set-piece punch-up in a train carriage would fit right into a Daniel Craig-era James Bond movie.

Less convincing are the odd excur­sions into tone-deaf comedy: would a suspect really be pursued across night­time Seoul on rental bicycles? But those are more than compensated for by the presence of some genuinely sinister bad guys, including General Gu Ja-woon (Ji Jin-hee) and his go-to thug Oh Min-u (Jung Suk-yong).

Finally, superseding all the breathless violence, human-rights advocates are given the floor. So perhaps D.P. will change the world, after all.